FLESH + BLOOD

Flesh + Blood ironically turned out to be the least substantive of the Roxy records, amounting to little more than a musical gilding of Ferry's already-golden voice. It's not a bad record by any means, especially for anyone who reached Roxy Music via the new romantic bands they inspired (Icehouse, Japan, etc.), but it does represent a final step in the path from subversive to submissive. If Manifesto was a Bryan Ferry album in disguise, Flesh + Blood drops the pretense altogether by featuring cover material ("In The Midnight Hour," The Byrds' "Eight Miles High") and a title track recorded without Mackay and Manzanera (Paul Thompson had already left). In its defense, Ferry's voice is a force to be reckoned with, like vintage Elvis. When he wilts over love on "Oh Yeah (On The Radio)" and "My Only Love," it's hard to keep your own knees from buckling under. And there's no denying that Roxy Music does the new romantic bit better than anyone, expertly capturing the shades between playful ("Over You") and pouty ("Rain Rain Rain"). If you enjoyed Manifesto and Avalon, you'll obviously enjoy this record too; in fact, you could say that the three form a holy trilogy of sorts for new romantics.